Published: Sunday, August 25, 2013 at 12:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, August 23, 2013 at 1:06 p.m.

Philip Chryst likes to joke he's the only chaplain of a bar in Wilmington. "They're getting me a T-shirt with 'Chaplain' on it," he said, grinning.

In fact, Chryst is pastor of a congregation that isn't a church, that doesn't have services on Sunday and keeps its dress code casual.

His organization is The Anchor, formed back in July by the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church as a "new faith community" for downtown Wilmington.

The Anchor (which takes its name from Hebrews 6:19) gathers at Ted's Fun on the River, a combination coffeehouse, convenience store and boat rental outlet at the foot of Castle Street. Its weekly gatherings are a 7 p.m. session for adults on Fridays, with plenty of music involved, and at 10:30 a.m. Saturdays for kids.

The idea is to reach out to people who aren't part of an existing church and who maybe don't like the idea of a church.

Much of the impetus for the new ministry came from Ted's proprietors, Kelly and Julia Walker Jewell. The Jewells are familiar names in the local music scene, making up two-thirds of the Cape Fear Trio. Julia Walker Jewell also doubles as music director for Wrightsville United Methodist Church.

"The thing was, I seemed to be doing an inadvertent ministry here," she said. "People would come in the bar and tell me their problems, their fears."

Jewell thought the downtown area would be the perfect breeding ground for what church organizers call a "missional community."

The Jewells contacted a friend, the Rev. Tim Russell, a former senior pastor at Wrightsville Methodist and a former district superintendent for United Methodist churches in the Wilmington area. Russell handles ministerial relations for the North Carolina Conference and its bishop, the Rev. Hope Morgan Ward.

Chryst is no stranger to the Port City. A Minneapolis native, he moved south to Charlotte with his family at the age of 9, then headed to Wilmington after high school. He graduated from UNCW in 1999 with a degree in communications studies and a minor in philosophy, then worked for six years as a sales representative for S&D Coffee.

"When I first came down here, I had decided I was smarter than God," Chryst said. "I just turned away from the church and all that."

An intense spiritual searching in college, however, led him in a different direction. "I found out that God was a lot different from what I expected," he said. "He is passionate for His people."

A real turning point came when Chryst began attending The Lord's Church, an African- American congregation.

"It was awesome," he said. "People were praying, singing, jumping up and down the aisles, dancing. I said, 'Sign me up.'"

After several years in other evangelical congregations, Chryst eventually found himself drawn to his in-laws' church, Faith Harbor United Methodist in Surf City.

At Faith Harbor, "I found something I was looking for," Chryst said. "Connectedness, a systematic approach, a link into a tradition larger than ourselves."

Eventually, Chryst felt called into full-time ministry and entered the master of divinity program at Duke Divinity School in Durham. While still studying, he joined the staff at Faith Harbor for a year before taking on Warrens Grove United Methodist Church, a rural congregation near Roxboro. The church soon enjoyed a growth spurt.

Chryst said the concept of a "missional community" began in the 1990s with Mike Breen, an Anglican priest who was trying to reach out to the masses of unchurched people in Sheffield, England. Instead of traditional Sunday school classes or Bible-study groups, Breen formed groups around people's interests, from music to cycling, with a component of community service worked in. Prayers and devotions were also added gradually.

"Evangelism in the sense of wagging our fingers and telling people they are going to Hell just doesn't work," Chryst said. "I'm inviting people to do good beside me."

Already, The Anchor is working with a local interfaith refugee ministry and planning a potluck and other events to aid Mother Hubbard's Cupboard.

Chryst wants to reach out to local single mothers and grandmothers raising children in nearby Solomon Towers.

"We think a worship service will come," he said, "but we're taking it slowly."

Chryst and his wife, DeAnne, are home-schooling their four children. In their spare time, they enjoy hiking, swimming, canoeing and other outdoor sports.

For more information on The Anchor, visit www.anchorwilmington.org or email PhilipChryst@gmail.com.

<p>Philip Chryst likes to joke he's the only chaplain of a bar in Wilmington. "They're getting me a T-shirt with 'Chaplain' on it," he said, grinning.</p><p>In fact, Chryst is pastor of a congregation that isn't a church, that doesn't have services on Sunday and keeps its dress code casual.</p><p>His organization is The Anchor, formed back in July by the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church as a "new faith community" for downtown Wilmington.</p><p>The Anchor (which takes its name from Hebrews 6:19) gathers at Ted's Fun on the River, a combination coffeehouse, convenience store and boat rental outlet at the foot of Castle Street. Its weekly gatherings are a 7 p.m. session for adults on Fridays, with plenty of music involved, and at 10:30 a.m. Saturdays for kids.</p><p>The idea is to reach out to people who aren't part of an existing church and who maybe don't like the idea of a church.</p><p>Much of the impetus for the new ministry came from Ted's proprietors, Kelly and Julia Walker Jewell. The Jewells are familiar names in the local music scene, making up two-thirds of the Cape Fear Trio. Julia Walker Jewell also doubles as music director for Wrightsville United Methodist Church.</p><p>"The thing was, I seemed to be doing an inadvertent ministry here," she said. "People would come in the bar and tell me their problems, their fears."</p><p>Jewell thought the downtown area would be the perfect breeding ground for what church organizers call a "missional community."</p><p>The Jewells contacted a friend, the Rev. Tim Russell, a former senior pastor at Wrightsville Methodist and a former district superintendent for United Methodist churches in the Wilmington area. Russell handles ministerial relations for the North Carolina Conference and its bishop, the Rev. Hope Morgan Ward.</p><p>Soon, Chryst was dispatched to Wilmington. </p><p>"Phil is the perfect person," Julia Jewell said, "to bring all the pieces together."</p><p>Chryst is no stranger to the Port City. A Minneapolis native, he moved south to Charlotte with his family at the age of 9, then headed to Wilmington after high school. He graduated from <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic71"><b>UNCW</b></a> in 1999 with a degree in communications studies and a minor in philosophy, then worked for six years as a sales representative for S&D Coffee.</p><p>"When I first came down here, I had decided I was smarter than God," Chryst said. "I just turned away from the church and all that."</p><p>An intense spiritual searching in college, however, led him in a different direction. "I found out that God was a lot different from what I expected," he said. "He is passionate for His people."</p><p>A real turning point came when Chryst began attending The Lord's Church, an African- American congregation. </p><p>"It was awesome," he said. "People were praying, singing, jumping up and down the aisles, dancing. I said, 'Sign me up.'"</p><p>After several years in other evangelical congregations, Chryst eventually found himself drawn to his in-laws' church, Faith Harbor United Methodist in Surf City.</p><p>At Faith Harbor, "I found something I was looking for," Chryst said. "Connectedness, a systematic approach, a link into a tradition larger than ourselves."</p><p>Eventually, Chryst felt called into full-time ministry and entered the master of divinity program at Duke Divinity School in Durham. While still studying, he joined the staff at Faith Harbor for a year before taking on Warrens Grove United Methodist Church, a rural congregation near Roxboro. The church soon enjoyed a growth spurt.</p><p>Chryst said the concept of a "missional community" began in the 1990s with Mike Breen, an Anglican priest who was trying to reach out to the masses of unchurched people in Sheffield, England. Instead of traditional Sunday school classes or Bible-study groups, Breen formed groups around people's interests, from music to cycling, with a component of community service worked in. Prayers and devotions were also added gradually.</p><p>"Evangelism in the sense of wagging our fingers and telling people they are going to Hell just doesn't work," Chryst said. "I'm inviting people to do good beside me."</p><p>Already, The Anchor is working with a local interfaith refugee ministry and planning a potluck and other events to aid Mother Hubbard's Cupboard. </p><p>Chryst wants to reach out to local single mothers and grandmothers raising children in nearby Solomon Towers.</p><p>"We think a worship service will come," he said, "but we're taking it slowly."</p><p>Chryst and his wife, DeAnne, are home-schooling their four children. In their spare time, they enjoy hiking, swimming, canoeing and other outdoor sports.</p><p>For more information on The Anchor, visit www.anchorwilmington.org or email PhilipChryst@gmail.com.</p><p><a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic14"><b>Ben Steelman</b></a>: 343-2208</p><p><a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/facebook"><b>Facebook</b></a>.com/StarNewsBen</p>